Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-11-15
FAR AWAY LAND.

Siam and ats Peaulfarities Delin Gated
By Rev. Nau Il. Bradley last Even
Ing.
A goodiy company gathered at the
Congregational church last evening to
listen TO a leoture on Siam by Rev. Dan.
f. Bradley. delivered for the benefits OF
christian endeavor society.
The lecturer invited his audience TO
journey with him 10 900 miles, to breathe
the air treighted With the fragrant odors
OF tropical lands.
Let us go by the way OF Sioux City
and from there to Omaha thence by rail
to San Francisco aud there take passage
on n Of those large ocean steamers
bound to Japan of four or five thousand
tons burden. For Is days on the wide
waste of water with only sea gulls and
porpoises. The first sight OF land would
be the great mountains of Japan. Three
days in port On the coast of Japan the
steamer sails again for Hong Kong to
~itness 1000 flags OF ell nationalitles
flying in the harbor. Here q thousand
passengers leave the big steamer and
those destined for Siam wait the first
craft sailing south to the Malay PENN
suis.
The Siamese are independent people.
Their country may be considered in
three divisions, the Malay peninsula
district, which is forest; north OF that
district we find the level land,
land made by the deposit from the river;
north OF this district Is the mountainous
districts where all kinds OF valuable tim
Der grows. such as ebony, lignumvitae
and rosewood,
The rivers abound with multitudes
OF ish-sbiplosds shipped TO Japan.
Sharks often found IN the mouths
of the rivers, also electric eels the touch
OF which is fatal. Gsme is very plenty,
small game and large game. Among the
latter tigers and elephants Ws7e spoken
OF, beautiful birds OF the richest plumage
found there, peaoooks, birds of paradise.
The country sworms with reptiles,
serpents of enormous size infest the
country. Some 80 feet long.
The inhsbisants are of q brown COM
plexion. short not like the Chinese. The
inhabitants live mostly along the rivers,
Back from thu rivess in the country life
unsafe infested by robbers. The gov
ernment, license men to rob. Paying e
thousand dollars for the privilege of
robbing for O year.
Land cultare-The principal crop ia
rice. The blowing done by q sharp
| stick drawn by q buffalo unlike those in
the western p%rslries III our own country.
The ground ia simply scratched over.
The rice is then planted and when the
plants come up they are transpianted
by the men and women. The water rises
IN the rivers and the ground is
overlooked the plants grow
n the water, growing SO fast that they
keep above the rising tide. When the
grain Is mature the farmer goes out il a
boat and harvests his crop.
The houses huiit are of bamboo. Two
kinds great and small. The large used
for posts in the house, the email for
mats or walls OF the house. When q
house is destroyed by fire an expsndi-
ture OF $1,000 will replace IT if he lets
the contract, and it will cost nothing
but his time if he builds it himself.
The government is the worst enemy
of the inhabitants. One tenth Of human
industry goes to the government, One
tenth Of fish caught, OF rice raised, o
wood cut.
When the citizsn is needed for war h
must respond without pay and provid,
arms and transportation and commisssr.
: stores for himself.
1t costs but little for the inhabitanta
to live. ia Chinese gets four cents
I day he can support his family. TIL
staple article for God is rice, clothing /
cheap. The religion OF the Siamese /
the worship OF Buidha. A belief in th
TRANSPORTATION of souls, the highest fell
= city reached is rest. neither Joy or sor
row, fate generally believed in. Th,
commandments of Bnddha to his fol-
, lowers seven. To abstain from murder
theft, nntrathfulness, adultery and che
use of alcohol.
Agood deed is to go the woods a'on,
and sit there in holy contemplation
The temples Of worship express the re
ligion-priests man the temples. On
hundred temples in the capital Of Siam
CITY OF Baukok. Every man must be Q
priest some time in his lille. The priest
teach tue children. But little oultnr,
among the people. Read q little, hav
q small knowledge of figures comprise
the extent of the education of an inhabi
tant OF Siam.
Customs at Wedding spoken OF. Gus
toms pertaining to the dead.
The king is supposed to pass il tn
white elephant when he dies, Thus tn
white elephant is regarded as sacred. N
white elephant can be taken from th
country, Barnum tried to smuggle on
into the Burmese country that he Nigh
transport to his museum in New Cork
{ bat spies followed him and poisoned th
: elephant.
The king is called the lord OF lif
Thus his appoin tees as governors of dill
|. ferent provinces are sent out to '.sat th
8 province" quot a bad representation
10 - - Al